For the longest time I guess I thought he didn’t give a damn
Hard to read, hard to please, that was my old man
On the day I left for college, it was nothing new
We never had that heart to heart – he had too much to do
He checked the air in my tires
The belts and all the spark plug wires
Said when the hell’s the last time you had this oil changed
And as I pulled out the drive he said be sure and call your mom sometime
And I didn’t hear it then but I hear it now
He was saying I love you the only way he knew how
A hundred twenty-thousand miles and six years down the road
A brand new life and a brand new wife and we had just bought out first home
When he finally came to visit I thought he’d be so proud
He never said he liked the place he just got his tool belt out
And put new locks on the door
Went back and forth to the hardware store
Said come and hold this flashlight
As he crawled beneath the sink
These old wires aren’t up to code
And that circuit box is gonna overload
And I didn’t hear it then but I hear it now
He was saying I love you the only way he knew how
Last Sunday we all gathered for his 65th birthday
I knew he’d stiffen up but I hugged him anyway
When it was finally time to say goodbye I knew what was next
Just like he always does, right before we left
He checked the air in my tires
The belts and all the spark plug wires
Said when the hell’s the last time you had this oil changed
And as I pulled out the drive he said be sure and call your mom sometime
And I didn’t hear it then but I hear it now
He was saying I love you the only way he knew how
